Leading Causes

Injury Related Deaths

In Simcoe Muskoka during the five-year period between 2007 and 2012 there were 1,487 deaths due to injuries (both intentional and unintentional), which accounted for 6% of all deaths during this time period. The proportion of deaths from injuries is disproportionately higher among those less than 45 years of age (39% of all deaths) when compared with those 45 years of age and older (5.5% of all deaths).

The figure below shows the type of injuries that caused the most deaths in all age groups in Simcoe Muskoka between 2007 and 2012. Falls (32%) are the leading cause of injury-related deaths, followed by: intentional self-harm (23%), transport accidents (14%) and unintentional poisonings (10%). The "other" category (14%) includes injury-related deaths that do not fit into any of the categories listed. This includes (but isn’t limited to) deaths due to being struck by or against an object or another person, being bitten or struck by an animal, and accidental injuries from machinery or firearms.

The table below shows the leading causes of injury-related deaths by age group in Simcoe Muskoka between 2007 and 2012. Among children and youth under 20 years of age, transport accidents (38%) and intentional self-harm (28%) were the leading cause of injury-related deaths. Intentional self-harm was the leading cause of injury-related death for adults 20 to 44 years of age (38%) and adults 45 to 64 years of age (38%). Unintentional poisoning was the third leading cause of injury-related death among adults 20 to 44 years of age (20%) and the second leading cause of injury-related death among adults 45 to 64 years of age (17%). Over half of all unintentional poisoning deaths were caused by exposure to narcotics or hallucinogens and approximately one-in-ten were caused by exposure to alcohol (also see Alcohol-Attributable Deaths). Falls was the leading cause of injury-related deaths for seniors 65 to 74 years of age (33%) and seniors 75 years and older (70%).

Leading Causes of Injury Deaths, Simcoe Muskoka Residents, by Age Group, 2007 to 2012 (combined)

The source of the death data used to create this page is from the Vital Statistics collected by the Office of the Registrar General in Ontario and distributed by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.